Trace messages are messages that are produced during execution of a computer program by a digital processing system. The purpose of the trace messages is to trace the execution process. The trace messages are generated during execution of the computer program and stored as a log for subsequent review. The log of trace messages may, for example, indicate which instructions were being executed, and/or which data values were manipulated and/or which data values were read or written to particular memory locations.
The trace messages produced by an executing computer program will depend upon the computer program and the particular protocol used to generate trace messages. The protocol defines when a trace message is generated and the format of the trace message.
It may be necessary to define, in advance of executing a computer program, how much memory should be reserved for storing trace messages as a log. For this reason, and other reasons, it may be useful to know in advance of executing a computer program how much memory the generated trace messages will need when logged.